"I think he's been a victim of a board that's come in, given him a lot of money and wanted success immediately," said Neill.
"He spent the money and unfortunately what he spent it on didn't bear fruit. That's not his fault.
"It was just bad luck with injuries. I think he's got to be judged on what happens from now.
"But the odds on him going will soon change if we stick two or three quick wins together.
"It's a slow process and you've got to build a foundation. Matthew Upson summed it up the other day - you can't just buy success in one season, it takes time.
"Time stood still for us for a year because everyone we tried to bring in, in terms of knowledge and experience, was injured."
